Most spellcasters, one day, will find themselves in the need of a wand.

In order to choose, one might consider the two main categories:

* Magical focus tool : Usually fashioned in wood or precious metal and using magical stones as a medium, this kind of wand acts as an extension to the mage’s will, allowing the magic to gather at its tip.

That kind of wand is used by all kinds of mages, and helps the user’s aiming and focus on its mana output.

Most mages will use a wand or a staff, but other items can be used, like bones, weapons, gauntlets, clothes, and even familiars*

The magic stone embedded inside usually acts as a Mana reserve and the focal point of the future spell.

It is possible to enhance one’s magical reserves and consumption by preparing and “precharging” one wand or item with mana during their downtime.

* Prepared spells: These wands are more intricately made, and de-facto more expensive than the large majority of “focus wands”.

They are usually fashioned with high quality wood by master artisans.

Magic formulas are painstakingly engraved or copied on velum to be sealed inside the wand or decorate its handle and shaft.

A “spell wand” functions very differently from a focus wand.

They are not used for general magical practice and the execution of spellcraft. They are generally used by adventurers and “non academic mages”.

For that kind of wand, once imbued with mana, will execute a predetermined spell, regardless of the user proficiency. Only the quality and quantity of mana counts.**

Staff and garment prepared so will usually contain much more potent spells, as they offer more surface to engrave or embroider, or carve on.

Some of them also contain a mana stone, to be pre-charged and ready to be used in a moment.

Warlocks and Healers are the main users of this kind of tool.

Some adventurers became “Spellslingers”, specialized in the heavy use of these magic tools. As high their price may be, their effectiveness makes them especially dangerous.

Finally, especially wealthy people and nobles will have “hybrid” or “ritual wands”.

The first one combines both types in exchange of some instability and the risk of blowing up in their user’s face.

Ritual wands will be used to conduct ritualistic magic, aided with pentacles and pentagrams and other magical devices without the actual need to recite any formula or do any calculations.

It is an old custom for an apprentice to receive a magic wand from their tutors as they meet as such for the first time.

Some especially demanding teachers will reserve this gift for an arbitrary achievement from their pupils, as they consider such tools as crutches for a fundamental weakness in magic theory and magic syntax.

*Refer to : “I want a magic pet, what do?” in the same edition.

**A person with low magic reserves or of poor quality may fail to activate the spell, or perform poorly from what has been advertised.

An Introduction to magic tools - Chapter 1 - Wand and staff: Categorization

Magical Academy of Serval, author non credited.

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It took little time to explain the situation to Felix.

Howard, what an idiot, why ? He thought, containing the streams of profanities. He liked the guy and repaired his weapons on occasions. his grasp tightened around his spear’s shaft.

“And… where is that Asshoooooward?” he barely caught himself in time as he realized he had two kids nearby.

“Confined to his dormitory’s room, under watch, the Headcounsilor and his son are with magus Lipswick” The Old One answered, helping herself with some roast chicken. “I’m not really concerned with him though, I’ve done a little interrogation on him, and he’s been lied to, little Jek and his nasty friends told him that your son was a troublemaker. Latest report from my man guarding him told me he’s a sweaty mess now that he finally understood what he was paid for.” she waved her hand dismissively “I’m convinced he’ll come beg for forgiveness and to be able to make up for his lapse of judgment at first light tomorrow. it’s up to you and your son to decide what to do and if you can forgive him.”

Not in this era Thought the former adventurer, his jaw tightening, having half a mind to pay a visit to the wanna be abductor. “And you say it’s the Chief’s doing, through his bully of a son? What an ungrateful Brat, after what happened not so long ago I thought they would put that kind of thing to rest.” Felix sighted, placing a hand to pat his adoptive son’s head who leaned into it.

“I’ll have words with them as well. You defended yourself well, Al, and you didn’t hurt anyone, that's a very good job!I have to speak with the council as soon as possible, I encountered more of the creatures you fought a couple weeks ago.”

Al’s head lifted up at that, frowning with worry. “Oh no! There are more of them?”

The Knight’s captain and the Old one’s brow lifted with curiosity and interest at the mention of monsters.

“Pseudo wolves? in this area? at this time of year? it is unheard of.” The battle hardened Ensign wondered, a finger tracing a scar on her cheek and neck as she thought about it.

“There should be none of these things around here…” she added, leaning forward.

The Envoy shook her head “Indeed, it is troubling news… Still, I wonder how this could happen? Were they chased from their habitat, or has their pack strayed from their migratory path? Dispatching them before they can settle near the village and so far from the forests and mountains they are native to should be your top priority, lest you lot get yourselves with an infestation.” She paused, considering. “We cannot interfere with it, as it is the mission of the Adventuring guild to get rid of monsters and pests.” She pointed out, mostly for her captain, who looked like she swallowed something foul and blushing a little.

Felix nodded, a little disappointed as the Knights would have made short work of these creatures. But as a former adventurer, he respected their choices to safeguard the Adventuring guild’s prerogatives as the main armed help for civilians.

“Thank you, I will tell the Council and the Guild at first light tomorrow.” He bowed to the table of giants, then, tilting his head to look at the assembly he added with a cheeky smile.”Now, did I miss the duels? Even though I'm not an adventurer anymore, I'd like to test my mettle with the best of the land. Any takers?”

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Andrea went through the doors with a heavy, fast pace and let them slam in her exit off the Chief’s house.

The nerves on the chief and his brat! How could they imagine pulling that kind of stunt to her son! To her! To Felix! She wished she could do more than chewing them out and take concessions from them, she learned a lot since she built her tower, and the urge to use a spell so they can reflect on their actions, much closer to the ground and swimming in mud where they belong, was almost too great for her to resist.

No one touched her son and got away with it so easily.

Still, she got to vent her anger on their furniture and even to spank both the brat and the father, with the promise to tell the Chief’s wife all about it. She could still see the Chief’s face when she said so, poor Alexandra will be furious to hear about it.

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Now! With the two culprits unable to sit down for an hour or two, she could finally go to see her son. She made a mental note about Howard and what to do with him later, if need be.

Using her magic to conjure in her hand an orb of light, she walked out of the home and toward the festivities. She had to make sure poor lil Alister wasn’t too shook up by what happened and give him a very big hug! Poor thing, this will take a lot of mommy kisses to…

She stopped in her tracks, as she realized the festive music had stopped, replaced by drums and cheering.

“A duel… again?” She wondered aloud, quickening her pace toward the main place. The closer she got, the more of the duel itself she heard, the villager cheers drowning the rest.

However, she did not hear of the creature prowling not so far away, in search of prey.

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Felix asked for a duel, and figured both would take it easy to please the crowd for a few minutes. Did he think he was going to win? Absolutely not, but he thought he could handle a few passes with one of the True ones, especially if they are as playful as he intended to be.

This was a mistake.

One of the Knights took on the challenge, Thaddeus, kind of a stuck up, noble type. His armor shifted and changed into a typical duelist garb, plastron and shin guards over a leather suit of armor. and his spear changed into a rapier.

The inebriated knights groaned a little as they saw the display, but cheered their champion nonetheless.

Alaster and Tanya were cheering too, slamming their little fists on the table, drowned by the crowd and the knights.

Jumping in place for a few seconds to work himself up, the Knight went in position, saluted with his rapier, then, legs spread, leaning back, one arm up, the armed one forward, wrist pointing the rapier down, inviting for a strike.

Felix had taken his own fighting stance with his spear, pointing it toward his opponent.

“Whenever you are read-” he said, interrupted by the Knight’s lunge, already up close and about to skewer him in one strike. Felix’s eyes bulged as he messily dodged it, keeping his lance’s tip toward the knight, making more distance.

Taking it easy ? He was naive, Thaddeus was taking it seriously. Honor duel seriously.

Still, Felix was no slouch during his inactive years, and kept training and sparring with adventurers, and managed to stay in the fight, desperately dodging and parrying the rapier and keeping his opponent at bay.

The more time passed and the less Felix got to think about what to do, the True One’s rapier was a blur of silver and glowing gems as it tried to go under, over, around and into his guard to claim the first blood. Felix found himself side stepping and stepping back at an alarming rate, the duel’s grounds behind him shrinking too much, too fast. His eyes were glowing with his magic energy, imbuing his body to enhance his senses and strength. This too was being used up way faster than he thought, and he found himself, then again, nearing the last of his reserves much quicker than he liked.

So he tried to use all the tricks his career as an adventurer brought to him.

Firstly, his emergency magic stones sewn into his plastron were drained out of their magic to replenish his reserves. This gave him enough energy to keep pace with the Knight to break with him.

Then, infusing mana into his spear, triggering the spell engraved within, he chucked it as hard as he could toward his opponent, his other hand grabbing on a stone ball at his belt as the Knight dodged with a sidestep. This, he launched towards his face, the stone glowed faintly, then exploded in a cloud of sand and dirt in the air and to the face of the duelist. He tried to dodge again, but this time he couldn’t clear the wide area of the “attack” before he got hit, closing his eyes.

This time, Felix was on the attack, taking out of their sheath his side arm, a shortsword, almost a dagger really, he lunged and flicked his wrist, nicking the knight on the arm, before folding in two as that same arm suddenly twisted and giving him an uppercut in the liver.

“Oof !” He exhaled, then immediately gasped for air, pain irradiating from his sides into his everything.

“Aawh ! He got you!” the Knights pointed to their comrade’s arm, a thin but clear line of red drawn across the bicep could be seen. The Nobleman scoffed, looking at the bleeding wound.

Ultrogoth signaled the end of the duel with a wave of her arms, and her mens made a beeline to the fighters,

“This… this is nothing,” the loser said, feeling much like a kid caught a hand in the jelly jar, his face flushing a little, “I did not even feel it!” he complained before pausing, catching himself and closing his eyes, sighing. “But it is A wound… So well played” he turned back to Felix, making his way over and extending his hand to the crumpled form of the winner, realizing just how knocked out he was. “Ah, sorry, Felix, was it? It was a reflex. Let’s say we are even from that mud bomb back there.” He added, helping him up. “You are the only one to make one of us bleed in a duel in years!” He paused again, his head nudging toward another Knight, the one who got his arm brace damaged by Howard. “You and the one named Howard, though Erik did not bleed”. Said knight rubbed said arm brace, the complex enchantments on the armor having it repaired in the course of a few minutes.

The knights cheered and their captain piped up, “A round of applause and ale for everyone! For Felix, the winner of the day!”

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Alaster tackled his father in a tight hug as he barely got up, making him fall on his ass and yelp in pain.

“THAT WAS AWESOME !” he excitedly said, shaking his poor dad, so giddy he almost jumped into place, his tail swishing left and right from below his winter jacket.

Felix hugged back his son and grinned, wincing a little as the little lizard shoulder pressed on his tender side. “Of course! I’m your dad after all!” he said in mock bravado as he saw the glowing eyes of the knights trained on him and his son, letting out some "d'awws " and "that’s nice” as they hugged.

Felix and Alaster decided to enjoy the moment a little longer as a shadow went over them, flickering with the bonfires.

“I can’t let any of you alone today without something happening, don't I?” Andrea remarked, her hands on her sides, looking down with a sly grin. “So while I went and schooled our benevolent Town leader on what is proper or not, you decided it was a good idea to take on a True Drunk here and now?”

The knight in question let out a scoff, the others guffawing, slapping their comrade in arms in his back when he tried to interject.

Felix turned his head to look her in the eyes. “Oh? Does that mean I got to have my own turn with the two?” he said hopefully, still holding his son and hugging him. Alaster looked up at them, head tilting lightly as he was listening.

“I think they got the idea. Feel free to overcharge them for your smithing though.”

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The village head breathed through his nose as he lifted his tilted table back up. Panting and cursing through his breath -but not too much, Jek was here after all- he tried to tune out the hurt he felt all over his backside and cheeks. Did that witch really need to use a spell to slap and spank them, Jek and himself?

The kid was sniffling, sitting in the corner where the angry mage had dropped him, head spinning and ringing from what felt like the dressing down of his life.

This was a complete disaster.

The village head sat across the table, looking up to the ceiling where most of his correspondence now layed, glued by some spell into the plaster. He never really hid his distaste about the witch’s son, the lizardman. He was one of the loudests against keeping it around and mingling with the other kids. Already, when Lipswick decided to live here and establish her tower, he tried to refuse the presence of the little reptile.

Not that it caused any more problems than any child's age. It's just … they had absolutely no idea what to expect…

And he remembered a damp night, so many years ago, where he first established his busyness. He had to move and start anew. Never again. He was the Village’s head, he paid for the village establishment, and took all the risks.

So what, he tried to get that snake kid out of the picture for a night? It was bad enough the Envoy and the Knights saw it, he just wanted to impress them during the feast. It’s all that adventurer’s fault. How hard was it to take a 10 or so kid and keep it in a room for a few hours?

Jek kept on crying. His father sighed, re-evaluating his options. His position could be at stake, Not that anyone would really dare, would they? He owned all the land except for the Mage’s tower and the weaponsmith’s.

All in his reflection, he jumped up as he heard a loud, scraping sound at his door.

Jek and his father looked at each other in silence as they heard it happen again… and once more.

The father moved to his desk, careful not to make a noise as he rummaged into a drawer, taking out a fine line of wood carved with runes. A crystal gently shone at the hilt.

When he came back to the entrance, the noise had stopped. Jek had left the main room and up into their own bedroom on the first floor.

Pointing the wand toward the door, he considered opening it.

The wood panel and the glass window on his left exploded, as an immense, dark form forced its way inside

The village’s chief immediately pointed the wand toward the intruder before he registered what it was. His eyes widened as he activated it.

The wand sputtered as sparks came out and the gem’s glow went dim. Not enough mana in the wand. It had sat in this drawer for years without supervision, he realized as the beast was upon him.

The room filled with his screams.